Red Ghosts
by I Dream of Scotty
Summary: There has been a murder in Philadelphia which bears a striking resemblance to the serial killer Red John, the only trouble is, Red John has been killed. Thinking they have a copycat on their hands, Rush and Valens enlist the help of our two favourite CBI agents in the hope to catch the killer before he/she strikes again. L/S, Jisbon.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So this is something that has been going around in my head for a while. I really wanted to do a crossover fic of my two favourite shows and this is the result. I really hope you like it, and reviews are always welcome.

**Disclaimer: I don't own either of these shows. This is just my way of paying homage to them. **

January 18th 2005, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia.

"Hey Lucy, you wanna come over?" her best friend asked her as they were walking home from school.

"Can't today, I've got loads of homework to do and there's a test tomorrow. I need to study. How about tomorrow?" Her best friend smiled and nodded. She knew that Lucy Austin studied hard, and was one of the brightest people she knew. The two of them continued on their short walk home and parted ways some minutes later, each heading off towards their own houses. Lucy was feeling good. Her life was pretty much going the way she had planned, she was top of her class at school and was already planning out her future career as a Criminologist.

Not too long after she had said goodbye to her friend she had finally arrived at her house. She opened her front door and called out to her sister. "Carla? Are you home?" She walked into the kitchen but there was no one there. Thirsty, she grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge and set her school bag down onto the dining table, noticing Carla's own bag lying against a wall. Their parents would be home for another couple of hours so it was just her and her older sister in the house. She casually walked up the stairs towards her sister's bedroom. "Hey Carla, I borrowed your blow dryer this morning, couldn't find mine. Hope you don't mind." She didn't get an answer from her sister. As she approached Carla's room she saw that the door was open. "Carla? Are you okay?" She crossed the threshold and stepped inside. The sight before her made her drop the bottle from her hand, soda spilling all over the beige carpet. "Carla!" There before her on the bed lay the body of her sister, covered in blood. She could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes as she rushed to Carla's side. One hand holding her sister's hand, the other hand desperately trying to find a pulse, but when she could find one she fell to her knees on the floor, bursting into uncontrollable sobs. She stayed liked that for about a minute before reaching into her jeans pocket for her phone. She tried to take it out but it slipped onto the floor as her hand was now also covered in blood. Trembling now, she picked it up and dialled 911. After telling the person on the other end of the phone what had happened she hung up, dropped the phone to her side and cradled her dead sister's body in her arms, tears now streaming down her face.

….

Present day. PPD Central.

It was nine o'clock in the morning when John Stilman walked into the bullpen and towards Lilly Rush's desk where she sat sipping her morning cup of coffee. "Hey Lil, can I have a word?" he quietly asked her.

"Sure, what's up boss?"

"Not here, let's go somewhere more private."

She nodded and the two of them headed towards one of the interrogation rooms. Once inside, Stilman gestured for Lilly to sit down and he did too. "What's going on?" she asked, a touch of concern evident in her voice.

"We've just got word of a murder last night." he began, a solemn look on his face. "He was a cop." Stilman took a breath "Jeffrey Fallwood." His gaze moved to Lilly who had, up until that point, been sipping her coffee. Upon hearing that name she froze, a mixture of quiet shock and horror filling her mind. "I'm sorry Lil," he told her, his voice now more gentle. Lilly nodded and swallowed before asking, "What happened?"

"He was found in his apartment," he paused, "his throat had been cut." He almost whispered. Lilly could feel the tears begin to well up behind her eyes but she refused to let them fall. "I thought you should know, I know you two were close."

Lilly just nodded her thanks but just as Stilman got up to leave Lilly asked, "Who's handling the investigation?"

Stilman turned around to look at her. "I pulled some strings and managed to persuade them to let us have it." He paused, "Lil, you know that you can't touch this one. You were too close to the victim."

Lilly nodded in understanding, "can I at least have a look at the file?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Stilman cautioned. "I haven't seen the actual crime scene but I'm told it's quite…disturbing."

"I need to see how he died." She told him, her voice had dropped to almost a whisper now.

Stilman thought about this for a few seconds before giving in. "Okay."

….

About an hour later Scotty Valens and Kat Miller had just gotten the case file and had begun to pour over the notes. "Is this the Fallwood case?" Lilly asked as she walked over to them.

"Yeah," Scotty replied and then looked at her, "listen Lil, we'll catch whoever did this."

Lilly nodded her silent thanks. "Are these the photos from the scene?"

"Yeah," Kat told her. "You sure you wanna look at those Lil?"

"I'll be fine." Lilly said attempting a reassuring smile but not quite pulling it off. There were five photographs altogether; Lilly looked at the first one and had to fight the nausea that threatened to overwhelm her at the sight of her friend lying on his living room floor, in a pool of his own blood, his throat slit.

"I'm sorry Lil," Kat told her softly, full of concern for her colleague.

Lilly slowly set that picture aside as she began to examine the second one. "Looks like there was a struggle." Lilly said as she looked at the photo of Fallwood's dishevelled living room. "Broken furniture…." Lilly paused, "is that blood on the wall?" She squinted at the corner of the photo. "Doesn't look like spatter…"

"Yeah, there was something drawn on the wall." Scotty informed her. "There should be another picture of it in there."

Lilly flipped through the remaining three photos until she came across the one Scotty was talking about. The nausea threatened her again as she looked at the red smiley face that was staring back at her in the picture. "What kind of sick bastard would do this?" She asked to no one in particular. She looked at it again and a thought occurred to her. "Wait, this whole thing looks familiar."

Kat looked at her, "what do you mean?"

"I think I've seen this before." She picked up the photo of Fallwood's mutilated body again and looked at it more closely. "It was on the news. There was a serial killer in California who had the same M.O.; a red smiley face on the wall."

"I think you're right," Scotty agreed and then proceeded to Google it on his computer. A few seconds later he found what he was looking for. "Hey, come and have a look at this." He asked his two colleagues who gathered round his desk. "His name was Red John. He killed his victims by slitting their throats and then painted the face on the wall with the victim's own blood!"

Lilly's eyes widened in realisation, "You..you don't think that….that was his blood? Oh God!" Another wave of nausea washed over her and she ran off to the toilets. Kat exchange a brief look with Scotty before following her.

"Lil?" she called out as she entered the ladies room. "Lil, you here?" she got her answer when she heard the blonde detective throwing up in one of the stalls. Not long after that Kat heard the toilet flush and Lilly emerged, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's okay Lil," she began, sensing her embarrassment. "We're trained to be detached from all this… but it's different when you know the victim." Lilly nodded, and then moved to the sink to splash some water on her face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just…seeing him like that! I…I just spoke to him last week."

Kat put her hand on Lilly's arm, a gesture of comfort and understanding. "I know Lil, I know."

Once Lilly had finished washing her face, she and Kat walked back into the bullpen. Upon hearing them enter, Scotty immediately met Lilly's eyes, worried for his partner. Lilly smiled and went over to his desk to see what else he had found. "This is strange," Scotty began and his colleagues once again gathered round his computer. "It says here that this Red John was killed, not too long ago."

"So you saying this is a copycat?" Kat asked.

"Looks like it." Scotty sighed and leaned back in his chair. "A good one. The way this whole thing has been done is very similar to the original Red John murders. Whoever did this really knows their stuff."

Intrigued, Kat nudged Scotty out of the way and took over the mouse as she scrolled further down the web page. "It says that this guy had followers… you don't think whoever did this might kill again?" she asked.

The three detectives looked at each other, silently coming to the same conclusion. "We've got to fine the person who did this or we could be looking at our own version of Red John right here in Philly!" Lilly said, once again looking at the sickening crime scene photos.

"It says that the team handling the original case was the major crimes unit of the California Bureau of Investigation, headed by an agent Teresa Lisbon." Kat noted, "Maybe we should give this agent Lisbon a call? She might have some useful info for us that may help us find Fallwood's killer?"

Scotty nodded, "I'm on it." And he proceeded to dial the number. The female detectives went back to their desks, giving him some room. After forty minutes of trying to contact her he was finally able to get through.

_"This is agent Lisbon."_ Came a female voice from the other end of the line.

"Hi, this is detective Scotty Valens from Philadelphia homicide. I understand that your team was in charge of investigating the serial killer Red John?"

There was a brief pause _"that's right. How can I help you?"_

"We had a murder last night, a cop, same M.O. as your guy. We think we have a copycat on our hands and we were hopin' you could provide some insight into him that might help us with our investigation?"

Another pause. "Agent Lisbon?" Scotty said, wondering if she was still there.

_"Sorry, off course detective Valens. Whatever we can do to help. I'll have someone send you the Red John profile and whatever other information you need…sorry could you please hold for a second?"_ she asked.

"Sure, no problem." Scotty replied. There was a few seconds of silence before he could hear her arguing with a man. He smiled to himself, realising that in her haste she had forgotten to mute the line.

"_I' m sending them the files….no we can't…no… Jane…..Jane!"_

Before he knew what was happening, another voice greeted him on the phone, a man's voice, no doubt the same man agent Lisbon had just been arguing with. _"Hi this is Patrick Jane, I work with agent Lisbon. I understand you think you might have a Red John copycat?"_

"Err..yeah that's right. We think whoever did this might kill again, any help you could give us would be greatly appreciated."

There was yet another brief moment of silence, which made Scotty think that he might have been put on hold. "_Detective Valens was it? Agent Lisbon and I would be like to offer our services to help you find this killer. If it's okay with you, we would like to come to Philadelphia and work with your people?"_

It was Scotty's turn to pause, "errr..yeah, sure. That'd be great!"

_"Excellent! We'll see you soon." _ He then hung up the phone.

Scotty smiled a little to himself as he researched this Patrick Jane on the internet. He certainly seemed like an interesting character and was looking forward to working with raised an eyebrow at the major crimes case closure rate. At least they had the best people to help them. He turned toward his partner who was sat at her desk, her head in her hands, still staring at the crime scene photos and his smile soon faded._ Don't worry Lil, we'll find the son of a bitch who did this!_ He thought, feeling a sudden sense of protectiveness towards her as his fist clenched. He'd been working with her for many years, they had been through so much together and yet he had never seen her so vulnerable as she was at that moment. He swore to himself then and there that he would make this right.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own either of these shows.**

Lisbon called Scotty back later that afternoon to organise everything and they'd agreed to meet at the airport the following day. Scotty managed to get there in plenty of time and waited for them to arrive. As he sat in the arrivals lounge his thoughts began to drift to the look on Lilly's face as she was looking through the photographs yesterday. He didn't know the details of her relationship with Fallwood but he knew that the two of them had dated a while back and they still kept in touch.

He felt for Lilly as his thoughts took him back to that time so many years ago when he was told that the woman he had loved was found dead. It had crushed him to the core. He thought about how his head was a mess for a while after that. How he ignored the people that cared about him because all he wanted to do was take the pain away and fill the hole that the loss had left in his heart. He didn't care how his actions affected those who cared about him, including Lilly and his reckless behaviour had almost cost him her friendship.

A part of him still hated himself for that, he had been selfish, he realised that now. He was glad she had it in her heart to forgive him, for he would never have forgiven himself if their friendship had been lost because of it. He wouldn't openly admit it to her but his friendship with Lilly was one of the closest he'd ever had. Working so closely together for so many years, they knew things about each other that they wouldn't dare to admit to anyone else, their hopes and fears. So many things said and yet unspoken, they just knew. They'd gone through a lot in the time they had known each other and that had brought them very close. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices arguing - his visitors from California had arrived.

…..

It was around 11am when Scotty walked into the bullpen with Jane and Lisbon. Upon seeing them, Lilly got up to greet them. "Agent Lisbon, Mr Jane, this is my partner Lilly Rush." Scotty introduced. "Lil, this is agent Teresa Lisbon and Patrick Jane." Lilly shook their hands.

"Thank you both for coming, we could really use any insights you have." she said.

"Anything we can do to help." Lisbon told her.

"I thought maybe we could show you the file, go over what we have so far?" Scotty suggested.

"Sounds good." Lisbon said and Lilly gestured her towards her desk where the crime scene photos still lay.

"Anyone want some coffee?" Scotty offered, to which both Lisbon and Lilly accepted and Scotty headed towards the break room.

"I'll come with you," Jane said as he followed Scotty, "I could use a spot of tea."

Lisbon picked up the photos and looked at them. "He was a cop?" she asked Lilly.

"Yes, Jeffrey Fallwood. He worked in Vice."

Although Lilly's face gave nothing away, Lisbon noticed the slight quiver in her voice at the mention of the victim's name, "you knew him." She deduced, her voice soft and compassionate.

"We…" Lilly paused, trying to pull the words from her emotion-filled mind. "We were friends."

Lisbon looked at her, "just friends?"

"We dated for a while, not very long. We broke up but we're still friends." She realised then what she had said and corrected herself. "_Were_ friends." It came out as a whisper.

"Did you know anyone who would have wanted to harm him?"

"He was a cop, so there must have been a number of people out there with a grudge against him…." She took a deep breath, instantly regretting her defensive tone. "Sorry, I guess I'm just not used to being on the other side of this."

"It's okay, just take your time."

"I don't know, I...I'm sorry. He seemed happy, never mentioned having problems with anyone."

"Does he have any family?" Lisbon asked.

"Not here, his parents live in Florida and his brother's in Connecticut. It's just so frustrating…I should be out there canvassing the neighbours or something."

"Here you go Lil," Scotty's voice came from behind her shoulder as he and Jane joined them in the bullpen. Lilly turned around to face him. He handed her a cup of coffee, and she smiled as she took it from him. "Thanks Scotty."

He returned her smile with a comforting one of his own and gently squeezed her shoulder. He then handed Lisbon her coffee too. Jane observed this little exchange between the two partners with an amused grin on his face. "You call each other by your first names?"

"Errr yeah, I guess." Scotty replied with a shrug of his shoulders as he went to grab the file from his desk.

"That's nice. See Lisbon; we should be doing that too. _Jane and Lisbon _just seem too formal after working together for all these years. Don't you think so, Teresa?" Lisbon glared at him. He looked at Lilly then, "he calls you Lil? Hmmm." He tapped his lips with his index finger and then looked at Lisbon again. "Maybe I should call you Tess, no..Reese."

"Jane!" Lisbon reprimanded but he ignored her, lost in his train of thought.

"Ohhh I know, how about Terri?"

"Can we _just_ focus on the case please?"

Scotty smirked and then looked at Lilly, who also had a small smile on her lips at the playful exchange they had just witnessed. He was secretly glad that Jane had lightened the mood a little; it was good to see Lilly smile again. He brought the file over for Lisbon to look at. "This is what we have. Fallwood was in his living room at the time. He lives alone and as far as we can tell he didn't have any company with him that evening. It looks like there was some kind of a struggle." Scotty said, showing her the relevant photograph. "But the front door wasn't broken, so it may have been that Fallwood knew his attacker, let them in." He noticed the silent look of shock on Lilly's face before she quickly covered it up.

"I agree, this whole thing doesn't have the feel of a random attack." Jane added. "There must have been a highly personal reason for wanting him dead. I'm guessing this was a woman." Everyone looked to him for clarification. "If you look at the way the furniture has been scattered – it's confined to the area around the couch, plus his shirt is unbuttoned, indicating that there may have been a passionate make out session before…" he trailed off.

"There was blood spatter on the cushions." Scotty said. "And it didn't look like the rest of the apartment had been disturbed. CSU didn't find any evidence that the killer had been anywhere else other than the living room. If Jane is right, then that means the killer brought the knife with them, meaning that whoever did this had gone there with the intention of killin' him."

"Do you know if he was seeing anyone?" Lisbon asked Lilly.

"He didn't mention anyone to me."

"Doesn't mean that he wasn't." Jane said.

Just then, the mailroom guy handed Lilly a letter. Lilly took it and held it in her hands while she listened to the others carry on their discussion. She still couldn't get her head around what had happened, the reality of the situation hadn't sunk in as yet and this all felt like a sinister nightmare that her alarm clock would soon break her out of. She wished she could be part of this investigation. She desperately wanted to find the person who killed her friend and why they had done it. _Fallwood was a good guy. _She thought to herself.

"How close were the two of you?" Jane's words snapped her out of her thoughts and she blinked. "I mean, it's obvious from your whole demeanour that you were more than just platonic friends." Jane continued.

"We dated…so we were close." Lilly replied.

"Did you ever hook up from time to time, you know, for old time's sake?"

"Jane!" Lisbon scolded and sent a look of apology in Lilly's direction.

"It's okay," Lilly assured, her stoic expression back on her face. "Is that your way of asking me where I was the night of his murder?" Lilly guessed.

"What are you saying?" Scotty asked, temper rising. He didn't like where this line of questioning was going. "Lilly would never do this…"

"Take it easy detective. I was merely trying to find out whether anyone would be jealous of detective Rush. Maybe there was someone who wanted to be with Fallwood but felt that Lilly here was a rival? Jealousy can be a powerful motive for murder."

"We haven't been together since we broke up." Lilly informed him, "we were just friends, nothing more." Lilly listened to the three of them continue the conversation as she opened the envelope in her hands and read the letter that was inside. Her gasp made the others stop immediately and look towards her.

"What's wrong Lil?" Scotty asked and she showed him the letter.

"What is it?" Lisbon asked and Scotty began to read it out loud.

"I warned you the first time but you wouldn't listen and someone paid the price. This time I collected from him - that rapist got what he deserved, and now it's your turn to play the game. Once you atone for your crimes you will be free. If you don't play the game then you too will die." Scotty looked at his partner in shock. "Lil, what does this mean?"

Lilly looked horrified, "I don't know." She said.

"Looks like Jane was right, this is personal." Lisbon said. "Do you have any idea what they're talking about and what they mean by 'rapist'?"

All eyes turned expectantly to her, "no, I don't know what…he wasn't a rapist, he wasn't!"

"And now she's pulled you into the game." Jane noted. "Looks like you're going to get to work on this case after all."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So here's chapter three of this story. I wanted to get this update done sooner but as usual, life got in the way. I just wanted to thank everyone who is following this story.

**Disclaimer: I don't own either of these shows. **

Six days ago, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia.

_As Lucy unlocked the door to her apartment she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. It had been a tough couple of days at work and she was looking forward to just unwinding and enjoying the weekend. She opened the door; eyes half-closed from exhaustion, set her purse on the table and left her keys beside it. Turning around to walk into the living room, Lucy almost jumped out of fear. "You should invest in a better lock," said the man sitting on her couch. "Anyone can break in."_

_The initial fear she felt was soon replaced with anger as she began to feel her blood boil. "What are you doing here?" she demanded._

_"Is that any way to treat a guest?" His voice was smooth and casual, he acted as if he had a right to be there, invading her private space._

_"Get out!" her voice was strong but she was shaking with rage on the inside. _

_The man on her couch made no move to get up; instead he crossed his legs and made himself more comfortable. "We have something to discuss," he told her, draping his arm over the back of the sofa. "I know you've started looking into your sister's murder again and that you made some…nasty accusations against me." He smirked at the shocked expression on her face. "What? You didn't think I'd find out? I'm a cop!" Lucy was too stunned to say anything. He continued to speak as he moved to stand up and walk towards her. "If you know what's good for you, you'll back off right now. Put this all behind you and move on like a good little girl." He smiled, and it made Lucy sick to the core, "it's what your sister would have wanted."_

_That remark set her off and she flew into a rage, "don't you talk about my sister, don't you ever talk about her, you sick bastard!"_

_He took a few steps toward her and grabbed her arm, "that's no way to talk to someone who's trying to help you."_

_"Help me?" He voice was cold, her hands clenched into tight fists._

_"You don't want to get involved in such a dangerous business. A pretty young thing like you – just graduated from college, got her whole life ahead of her. You don't want it to end so…soon."_

_Lucy gasped at the veiled threat. "Get out of my house!" she shouted now, unable to contain her anger any longer. "Get out!"_

_His hand gripped her arm tighter and she thought he would cut off the circulation there. "You know what your problem is? You don't know when to walk away. You're stubborn. What will it take for you to back off? Money? Huh?" Lucy spat in his face, disgusted at the suggestion. He wiped the saliva off with his other hand and Lucy could see the rage in his eyes as his hand then moved to her blouse and began to tear it off her. Lucy struggled against his grip, fear and anger blending into one explosive cocktail in her mind. Without thinking she grabbed the nearest object to her, which happened to be a bookend, and hit him across the face with it. Startled and in pain, he let her go and she ran off into the kitchen. He soon followed her, yelling that he was going to silence her just like he did her sister. The very mention of Carla sent her into a blind rage of her own as she grabbed a knife just as he came to stand in front of her. She held it out to him, "You take one more step and I swear it'll be your last!"He stopped."Get out right now!"_

_He backed away slowly, "you just made a big mistake." He told her as he quickly walked out of her apartment._

…

PPD Central: Present day. 6.47pm

"Where's that partner of yours?" Jane asked Lilly as he walked into the bullpen, a cup of tea in hand.

"I told him to go home, he hasn't slept since we caught this case." She replied.

Jane smirked, "he actually listens to you?"

Lilly smiled, "sometimes. Where's Lisbon?"

"My dear partner decided to accompany one of your colleagues, Vera I think it was, to the coroner's office." He took a sip of his tea. "What you got there?" Jane asked, referring what Lilly was looking at on the computer.

"I'm looking into Fallwood's police record." Lilly told him, eyes fixed to the computer screen. Jane pulled up a chair next to her and set his cup down on the desk. "It has several commendations in here…" she paused. "Everyone who has ever worked with him say he's a good cop."

"So you're wondering why someone would make such an accusation." Jane said.

"I knew the guy. I…I dated him for God's sake! He would never do something like that." She insisted.

Jane took a sip of his tea. "How well do we _ever_ know a person?"

"You can't really be saying that you believe this?" Lilly asked him, incredulously.

"What I believe is irrelevant."

"This woman is lying! Has to be!"

"Then why are you hiding that file?" he asked.

Lilly looked at him sheepishly, "what file?"

"The one that you've carefully buried under that mound of paperwork." He said, pointing to the pile in the corner of her desk.

Lilly sighed and pulled the file out. "How did you know?"

"It was obvious from the way you were talking that you felt conflicted over this, you wouldn't be trying so hard to justify that your feelings about him are right. Plus that pile stands out among the other bits of paper on your desk – a prime hiding place…"

"Lisbon warned me about you!" Lilly told him, somewhat annoyed and somewhat amused by his deductive skills.

Jane smiled at this, "really? And what else did she tell you about me?"

Now Lilly smiled, "that you were a giant pain in the ass!"

Jane chuckled. "You know she loves me really."

"She also said that you were an excellent investigator." Her expression turned serious as she handed him the file, "about a month ago an attempted rape and murder charge was brought against him."

Jane took the file from Lilly and had a look, "it says the charges were dropped?"

Lilly nodded, "yeah, the victim recanted."

Jane looked at her askance, "there's something else, isn't there?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"There's something you're not telling me. Something you remembered just now. It flashed across your face for a split second." He observed, "What is it?"

"It..it's nothing. Just…"

Jane's voice softened a little, "anything you remember might be helpful."

"It was a few years ago. A teenage girl was found murdered in her bedroom; I was the lead detective on the case. We never found out who did it, there were no real leads – the case went cold pretty quickly. But a few months after that, the victim's younger sister started calling me, saying that a cop had been watching the house. She even took a picture of him- it was Fallwood. She told me she thought it was linked to her sister's death." She swallowed, "she….she asked me to look into it but I…."

"You didn't do it 'cos by then you had started dating him." Jane surmised. Lilly merely nodded, unable to say anything further, shame threatening the tears to fall and disgust churning her stomach. Jane paused for a moment, thinking about the situation. "Don't you think the timing of your dating was a little…coincidental?" Lilly looked at him for a further explanation. "I mean, you were the lead detective on that case – ever think that's why he asked you out in the first place?"

"You think that's why? He just wanted to get me on-side?"

"Please don't take it the wrong way, you're a very attractive woman and I'm sure that many men would want to ask you out, but it does look a little suspicious. Don't you think?"

There was a pause before she said, "now that you come to mention it, I guess in hindsight, the timing was a little…convenient."

Jane looked at the file again. "It says here that he was accused of attempted rape again, just a few days ago. Did you know about this?"

"No." Lilly said, surprised.

"A Lucy Austin. Said he broke into her apartment and threatened her life. Tried to assault her too, but failed."

"Austin? That was the victim's name."

"The cold case?" Jane asked.

"Yeah."

"Could be the sister? That would explain the threatening note she sent you. Looks like she blames you for not listening to her."

"If it is her – why copy Red John?"

"It's a statement. She's angry and out for revenge. The crime scene was very similar to a Red John murder; she would have had to have been studying his methods very closely. She's probably been planning this for a while. Ever since her sister was killed I would imagine. The good news is she probably isn't Philadelphia's next serial killer, the bad news is that she's probably got plans to punish you in some way."

"She said she wants me to play the game." Lilly remembered.

"Yes and whatever she has in mind, you can bet the 'game' is not as fun as it sounds."

"I'm not going to wait until she decides to do something – I'm going to go talk to her!" Lilly stated and grabbed her coat and car keys.

"I'll come too." Jane said and he too made to leave.

…..

They took Lilly's car and headed out to the address that they had on file for Lucy Austin. They arrived there a while later, got out of the car and made their way to the front door of her apartment. Lilly knocked on the door but there was no answer. "Doesn't look like anyone's home." Jane said and Lilly knocked again.

"Miss Austin, it's Philly PD, we'd just like to ask you a few questions." Still no answer.

Jane put his ear to the door and listened. There was no movement to be heard. "Don't we have reason to believe that someone's life could be in danger?" he asked and Lilly knew exactly what he was getting at.

She nodded. "You think you can kick it open?"

Jane gave her an incredulous look, "I have a better idea." He reached into his pocket and took out a lock-pick.

Lilly raised her eyebrows, "seriously?"

He smiled that dazzling smile of his, "three seconds or less." True to his word, the door was open in two seconds flat. Lilly told Jane to stay behind her as she drew her gun and cautiously entered the apartment. Jane followed behind and almost startled Lilly when he flipped the light switch on. "Sorry." He said as they continued inside. "Hmm."

"What is it?" Lilly asked.

"Very neat and tidy. A sign of an organised mind." Jane explained.

They decided to split up, each searching different rooms of the apartment, Lilly ventured into the kitchen while Jane searched the bedroom. As he entered, something immediately caught his eye. "Detective Rush!" He called and Lilly came running into the room.

"What is it?" she asked and Jane handed her a slip of paper.

"I think this was meant for you."

Lilly began to read the note. "Detective Rush, if you are reading this then you have obviously connected me to the timely death of your old flame Fallwood. You should have listened to me back then. I thought that by killing him I could make you suffer but then I realised that after you had found out what he had done, you wouldn't suffer enough. Maybe you feel as I do; that he deserved what he got. How does it feel that all that time you were sleeping with a rapist and murderer? Knowing that he has been a part of your life. But I am not without compassion. The master, Red John, taught us that without death there can't be life, so I'm going to give you a chance at a new life. I have taken from you the one you are closest to. How will your life be without him?" Lilly's face blanched as her heart began to race; her mind filling with fear and her stomach now gripped with that now all-too-familiar sensation of nausea.

"You don't think she…." Jane began but couldn't finished that sentence.

Lilly's voice came out as a panicked whisper. "Scotty!"

She took out her cell phone and dialled her partner's number. There was no answer. "Scotty answer your phone!" It kept on ringing, "Come on Scotty, answer your phone please!" She tried to call him twice more but each time it went to voicemail. She could no longer stand it. Her heart hammering in her chest, she hurried out of the apartment and to her car, Jane following close behind. The second Jane was in the car she turned on the ignition and tore out of there, driving as fast as she could towards Scotty's apartment complex. On the drive there, Jane got out his phone and began to text Lisbon, giving her an update of what they had found and where they were going. He had a feeling they would need her help when they got there. After he was done, Lilly gave Jane her cell phone and asked him to try Scotty again. He did, but there still was no answer.

Minutes later they arrived. Lilly practically ran to his door but just as she was about to knock she noticed that it was open. She drew her gun and gestured for Jane to stand back. Cautiously, she opened the door and stepped inside. Jane was still waiting in the doorway ten seconds later. Not hearing any sounds of a fight he called out "it is clear?" But Lilly didn't answer him. He waited a few seconds longer before concern got the better of him and he too stepped inside to see what was going on. As he entered, he saw her standing still, with her back to him. Her shoulders were shuddering slightly. "Lilly, what's wrong?" She didn't answer him so he moved closer to her, eyes fixed on her quivering body. When he came to stand beside her he could see that she was crying. "What is it?" He followed her gaze towards the kitchen wall and he soon got his answer. There, drawn in blood, was a Red John smiley face.

"She's got him Jane. She's killed Scotty!"


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you to Superstar1702 and imsoproudofyou for your reviews and to everyone who has favourited/following this story. Your support is very much appreciated and I really hope you like this chapter too! :-)

**Disclaimer: I don't own either of these shows!**

By the time Lisbon and Stilman arrived at Scotty's apartment, Jane had managed to calm Lilly down. Lisbon found the two of them sitting on the sofa. She walked over to them and silently gestured for Jane to follow her to the other end of the room. Once there, she asked him quietly, "what happened?"

"We were looking into a possible lead, a woman named Lucy Austin. She believes Fallwood killed her sister a few years back. Apparently she tried to convince detective Rush but she didn't believe her and now it looks like she is out for revenge."

"Revenge?" Lisbon queried.

"We found this note in her apartment." He handed the piece of paper to her and Lisbon read it, the blood draining out of her face by the time she got to the end. "Son of a bitch! Even after his death he's still haunting us!" she said, referring to Red John. Jane nodded his head but didn't say anything. "How is she handling it?" Lisbon asked as she looked over to Lilly who was now being comforted by Stilman.

"She was really broken up I had to put her in a mild trance just to calm her down. She thinks her partner's dead Lisbon."

Lisbon thought for few seconds, "what if he's not dead?" she speculated, "there was no body at the scene. They way she killed Fallwood – it was textbook Red John and we know Red John liked to display his victims. Make a statement."

Jane tapped his bottom lip as he considered this, "I agree, her apartment was way too neat. She's a perfectionist, by the book. If she had killed him, she would have displayed his dead body here. She wants to play a game with Rush. Wants to really make her suffer. She's sadistic. Probably has him kept somewhere." Lisbon looked questioningly into his eyes. "It's a long shot, I know. But I'm eighty seven point five percent sure he's still alive."

"Eighty seven percent?"

"Point five." Jane corrected.

Lisbon rolled her eyes. "Right 'cos that makes all the difference! But even if he is, how would we know where to look? He could be anywhere!"

"We won't need to go looking for him; she'll tell us where he is."

"You think?"

"She's playing a game remember? It's all about her having control. She'll tell us the next step." Lisbon raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Eighty seven point five percent." Jane reminded her.

"I hope you're right Jane." Lisbon said as she look back over to Lilly.

Jane studied Lisbon's face and could see her eyes glaze over with unshed tears. He reached out to touch her shoulder, "Hey, it's going to be okay." He reassured her.

Lisbon nodded, "It's just that this whole thing…is too familiar. It wasn't so long ago that you…." She trailed off.

"Lisbon." He put his hands on her shoulder, "I'm okay. We're okay. Red John is dead."

"He nearly killed you." She whispered, tears threatening to spill over. "I thought you were going to die!"

"But I didn't!" Jane reminded her, his voice had taken on a tender tone as he smiled at her. "We're both alive and that monster is in the ground where he belongs!" A small smile played on Lisbon's lips at his words and she nodded.

Just then Stilman walked over to them. "CSU is going over this place with a fine-toothed comb." He paused, then, more quietly, asked both Jane and Lisbon "do you think that Scotty is still alive?"

Lisbon looked at Jane who gave her a reassuring nod, "we think that there's a good chance he is. She seems to be playing some kind of twisted game with detective Rush."

Stilman let out a slow, angry breath, "I want the head of whoever's done this!" he told them, conviction burning in his eyes. "I don't care what it takes! I'll authorize the overtime, I want them found!" He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger, in an attempt to calm himself down. "Agent Lisbon, could you please take Lilly home? She needs to get some rest and I don't want her here with..that." he said referring to the bloody smiley on the wall.

Lisbon nodded, "sure." Just as she was about to walk over to Lilly, Stilman stopped her.

"She'll make a fuss, claim she's okay but don't listen."

Lisbon smiled, "don't worry, I'll get her home."

…

** Lucy Austin's dorm room, Sacramento State University, Sacramento CA. 2008.**

_"Hey Lucy, what's up? Thought you were going to the party tonight?" her room mate asked her._

_"Don't really feel like it, think I'll just stay here and read."_

_"What? You haven't stopped talking about it for weeks…" she stopped, noticing that Lucy had been crying._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing. It's nothing." Lucy tried to assure her._

_"I know you girl, you don't cry over nothing. Something's up, what is it? Is it Troy? Did he do something?" _

_Lucy shook her head. "No, it's not Troy…it's" she paused, trying to pull herself together. "Tomorrow is the third anniversary of my sister's death."_

_"Oh," her roommate said, understanding now, "I'm sorry Lucy."_

_Lucy sniffed a little, "I thought I would be okay, but I can't stop thinking about it. It's been three years and I still have nightmares. You should have seen her, Jess. There was blood everywhere, she..she didn't even look like Carla anymore, it was like looking at someone else!"_

_Her roommate, Jess, studied Lucy's face for a minute before saying. "You know, I think there is someone you should meet. I think he might be able to help you."_

_"No! I'm not going to see a grief counsellor again!" Lucy told her adamantly. _

_Jess shook her head, "it's not a grief counsellor. He's a good friend of mine, I've known him for a couple of years, he helped me when I was going through a bad time at home." _

_"Yeah?"_

_"Yeah," Jess said, "he taught me a few things about myself, who I really am and how to deal with the shit that life throws at you." She smiled, "he's really nice and he was the only one who actually gave a damn about me back then. I owe him….everything." _

_"Who is he?" Lucy asked._

_"Why don't you come meet him? I'm going to see him tonight, you could come too?" _

_Lucy looked at her friend skeptically. "I don't know Jess."_

_"Come on, you could use a friend, someone who understands what you're going through. I could try and help you but I'm crap at advice. My friend….he just knows the right thing to say." She smiled, "you know what he told me once? He said that death isn't as bad as people think, that it can act as a spiritual awakening, it can bring new perspective and help you appreciate life all the more!"_

_"Really?" Lucy asked._

_"Yeah, you should come meet him Lucy. He can help you, I promise." _

_Lucy thought for a moment before agreeing, "okay, I'll come."_

…

**Lilly Rush's apartment, Philadelphia PA. Present day.**

Lisbon sat on Lilly's couch while Lilly went into the kitchen to get some coffee for the two of them. The drive over had been a relatively quiet one but now that Lilly was back home she found herself feeling a little less anxious. Lisbon had explained Jane's hunch that Scotty had to be alive and Lilly believed her. Jane was right, there wouldn't be any point to taunt her the way she had and just end the game so quickly. That was the one single ray of hope in all of this. That he was still alive. Lilly wasn't a religious person but she found herself praying that she would see her partner and best friend again. After pouring the coffee into two mugs, Lilly walked back into the living room and offered one to Lisbon, who smiled as she took it. "Thanks." She said and took a sip of the warm, comforting liquid. Lilly sat in a chair opposite her and held her mug with both of her hands, allowing the warmth emanating from the ceramic vessel to permeate her skin, sending a wave of soothing feelings through her body and into her mind. It was a kind of lifeline for her, it kept her steady when all she wanted to do was fall apart inside. To anyone looking at her they would never be able to tell how hurt Lilly was over this, anyone except Lisbon that is. Years of working with Patrick Jane had made her more attuned to people's body language. "He's going to be okay." Lisbon told her, trying her best to sound convincing.

"I know." Lilly said, attempting to hold the Ice Queen mask firmly in place. "That's some partner you have there." Lilly said, referring to Jane, "he's very perceptive. A little.. unusual though."

Lisbon let out a little chuckle, "yeah, you could say that!"

"How long have you two been working together?" Lilly asked, happy at the change of topic.

"Over a decade now." Lisbon paused, "he came to the CBI 'cos he wanted revenge on Red John for the death of his family, and after he was killed, I thought he would leave but…"

Lilly looked at Lisbon questioningly. "But what?"

"He's still here. He told me he wanted to stay, help catch the bad guys."

Lilly nodded knowingly, "I guess after all that time, this job, kinda becomes who you are. You can't really do anything else."

"I'm worried though. For him." She began, "I mean I'm glad he's finally free of that, but he's got his life back now, I guess I'm just concerned that he's still not ready to move on. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he's still working with me….us." She corrected herself, "with the CBI, but sometimes…"

"Maybe he feels that's where he belongs?" Lilly suggested, "I can relate to that." Lilly took a sip of her coffee.

"You ever thought about leaving Philly PD?" Lisbon asked.

Lilly paused a few seconds before answering. "Once…a few years back I was offered a job with the FBI. Considered taking it too."

"Really?" Lisbon was surprised, "what happened?"

"Didn't feel right. Leaving. We..Scotty and I, had a fight around the same time. He would never tell me outright that he wanted me to stay, but I…I could see it in his face that he was hurt. Hurt that I was thinking about taking it. I'm not saying I stayed because of him but…partner relationships..it's…"

"Complicated. Yeah, I get that." Lisbon agreed.

"Yeah, the things we do for them huh?"

Lisbon rolled her eyes "tell me about it!" The two of them laughed.

Just then Lilly received a text on her cell phone. She reached out for the coffee table and took it, then pulled it back to her lap and opened up the message. There was a video file attached. "It's Scotty!" Lisbon moved over to her and watched over her shoulder. The video showed Scotty tied up on the ground somewhere. He was unconscious but he was breathing. There was a little message to go along with the video telling Lilly where to go next and after the address she had written; _Time for stage two! You better hurry, or he dies!_

Lisbon and Lilly looked at each other. Jane was right, she was playing a deadly game - with Scotty's life hanging in the balance!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Firstly, I want to apologise for being a bit late in posting this chapter. I am trying to post a new one every week but life has been really busy lately. Secondly I want to say a huge thank you to everyone to has been supporting this story. You guys are really great and I really do appreciate it. :-)

**Disclaimer: I don't own either of these shows**

"We need to find him; this has gone on long enough!" Lilly said as she stood up and went to get her coat, her mind filled with equal parts fear and anger.

"This might be a trap." Lisbon suggested, "For all we know, she might be trying to lure you into some place where she can kill you. We don't know how deep her thirst for revenge runs, believe me, I've seen what that could do to a person."

"We can't just leave him with her! We don't know how long ago this was taken…wh…what if he's dead by now?"

"We can't think like that. Jane thinks there's a good chance that he's alive."

"And you believe that?" Lilly asked.

Lisbon nodded, "Yes. He's a pain in the ass sometimes, but he's very good at reading people." She paused for a second before saying, "It's not him she's after – it's you!"

"She's using him to get to me! She wants to hurt me the way she was hurt. She killed Fallwood, Lisbon – she killed my friend! What makes you think she won't kill Scotty too? We can't just sit here, we have to go!" Lilly went to get her gun from the small lock-box in her kitchen. Lisbon followed, not willing to let her go on some fool's errand that could get her killed. "You can't just go over there without back up."

Lilly turned around sharply "if it was your partner, what would you do?"

Lisbon paused, remembering how it _had_ been her partner, not so long ago. How Red John had lured Jane into a trap that had almost cost him his life. She sighed, "Okay, but I'm coming with you! We'll have to take my car anyway."

Lilly smiled gratefully, "Thank you."

Just as the two of them were about to head out the door, they heard a knock. Lilly went over to see who it was. "Mister Jane? Is everything okay?" she asked as she let him in.

"Yes, I thought the two of you might be hungry, so I brought dinner!" he explained as he held out two bags of take out. He took a few steps inside and then froze as he saw the gun in Lilly's hand. "What's going on?" He asked, noticing the guilty look on Lisbon's face. "Lisbon?" He then turned his gaze to Lilly, "Did something happen?" Neither of the female detectives said anything. "She's been in contact again hasn't she? Lucy Austin." He just needed to look at their faces for confirmation. "She told you where she's keeping detective Valens and you two have decided to go there alone!" He paused, "you do realise how foolish that sounds?"

"We're wasting time – she said she's going to kill him if I don't get there quickly."

"Jane," Lisbon intervened, "I know you don't think she'll kill him, but what if you're wrong? We can't gamble with a man's life."

"You're walking into a trap! She has no intention of freeing him just yet. She has all the cards right now."

"You got your gun?" she asked Lisbon, completely ignoring Jane. Lisbon nodded.

"Alright, fine if you two insist on doing this them I'm coming too."

"No!" Lisbon told him, "I want you to stay here, tell Stilman what has happened and wait for backup!"

"I know Red John, and if she is one of his followers you'll need my help to get inside her mind!"

"Jane!"

"Lisbon! There's no time to argue, I'm coming with you!"

Lisbon sighed, "dammit Jane! Okay but stay out of the way." _I don't want you getting hurt again. _She thought and Jane could read it in her eyes.

"I promise." He told her, barely resisting the urge to touch her arm, to comfort her. He knew that she still had nightmares of what had happened. He owed her his life, in more ways than one. One day, he thought, he would show her how much she meant to him.

Lisbon nodded, "okay, let's go."

And with that the three of them headed out.

…

The smell of ammonia roused Scotty from a state of unconsciousness. He blinked in an attempt to ascertain his surroundings. Everything was a blur, both to his eyes and in his mind. He blinked again but saw nothing – the blurring had cleared but now there was just darkness. Mild panic began to fill his mind – why couldn't he see? He felt his pulse quicken as he tried to rub his eyes but he couldn't move his hands. Something was stopping him. He tried again and felt something chafe roughly against his wrists which was immediately followed by an intense sense of pain. He realised then that his hands had been restrained in front of him. He struggled against them but he couldn't get free and the pain coming from his wrists discouraged him from trying that again. It was only then that he became aware that he was actually lying down on the ground and that his feet had been tied up too. He kicked against the restraints, each movement becoming more frantic and desperate than the last until the strength left him and he gave up. He tried to catch his breath. He couldn't remember how he had got there, or what had happened to him, everything was fuzzy. He tried to think back to the last thing he could remember. Lilly. He remembered talking to Lilly in the bullpen. They were working on a case…with Jane and Lisbon from the CBI. He remembered that Lilly had told him to go home and get some rest. There was something about the case that seemed important, a feeling at the back of his mind. He tried to think what it was but the thoughts eluded him and every time he thought he was getting closer they seemed to disappear again.

His thoughts were silenced by a distant sound which he struggled to identify. He waited, realising that it was getting louder. He listened carefully. It sounded metallic, like metal striking metal. A screeching sound, a painful whine. For the second time since he woke up he felt his heart rate increase. Where was he? He tried to get his eyes to focus on something but it was just too dark. The noise then suddenly stopped and then he heard the sound of footsteps advancing towards his position. "Who's there?" he called out. The footsteps grew louder and soon they sounded like they were in front of him. They stopped and there was silence again. His nose picked up the smell of perfume. A woman, he thought, but he didn't recognise the scent. His mind began racing, eliminating possibilities. It wasn't Lilly, she didn't wear perfume. Was it Lisbon? He quietly inhaled again but eliminated her too. He remembered there was something faintly cinnamon about her perfume. This was a much stronger, more floral scent. "Who's there?" he called again, but was met by continued silence. He began to realise that whoever it was, wasn't there to help him. He tried to get up off the floor, but each movement sent fire through his arms and he flopped back down again.

"Careful detective Valens." Came a female voice from just above and in front of him. He looked up instinctively, even though he couldn't see anything. "I wouldn't move around like that, you have been cut quite badly."

"Who are you?" he asked again.

""You don't remember?" she asked.

"No."

"Good." She replied and Scotty could hear the self-satisfied smile in her voice. He heard a whooshing sound and then a flame of light broke through the darkness and the face of his captor was revealed. His police training began to kick in as he started to catalogue the details of her appearance. _Female, late teens/early twenties, brown hair, average height. _He hoped that he would remember something about her but every time he thought something seemed familiar, that thought would vanish back into the dark recesses of his subconscious. She could see his inner struggle as he tried to remember the events of the past few hours. "Don't try to remember detective, it will only tire you out. Your efforts will all be futile anyway."

"Why?" He asked.

She didn't answer his question but merely smiled. "I need your help."

Scotty let out a bitter laugh. "So you take me hostage?"

"I want you to know, detective Valens, that I have nothing against you personally, and I am sorry that you had to get caught up in all this."

"All what? What the hell are you talkin' about? Who are you?"

"A few years ago, my sister was killed." She paused trying to stem the emotion in her voice, "it was brutal. She was cut open and left to die on her bed. When I found her she was lying in a pool of her own blood. Do you know what that's like?" she asked him and he shook his head. "It changes you. To see someone you love like…..that. No matter what you do, the image never goes away. Your partner, detective Rush, was the lead detective on the case. I went to her for help, told her I knew who killed my sister, but you know what she did? She just walked away, walked away because she was dating the bastard."

"Wait…..I know you." Scotty said, "I remember now, it was 2006. Lisa? Lisa Austin? You were only 14."

"Lucy!" she corrected him, "and it was 2005 – eight years ago, eight years!"

"So you're gonna kill me to get back at her? Is that it?"

She smiled again. "Oh no. You're much more valuable to me alive. I want her to see you suffer, to know what its like to watch someone you care about be cut open, to see their blood spill about their body and know that there is nothing she can do to stop it."

Scotty felt the bile rise up his throat and it was all he could do to keep from being sick. "What happened to you? The death of your sister turned you into a psychopath!"

She smirked, "oh no, the exact opposite! I was a mess for years after her death, I couldn't sleep at night thinking about what happened until I met the master. Red John taught me how to find my strength." She paused and looked at him. "Now, you better hold still or this is gonna hurt a lot more." She advanced on him with a knife, newly sharpened and proceeded to move it towards his leg.

….

Lilly, Lisbon and Jane had been on the road for about an hour. Lisbon was driving while Jane and Lilly sat in the back, with Lilly clutching onto her phone in case any other messages came through. They drove mostly in silence, the tension thick; feeling like everything could implode at any second. At around the half hour mark Lilly began to think about Scotty and she realised that he had become a very important person in her life. He was always there for her, with a joke or witty remark that would always make her smile or a comforting cup of her favourite coffee when she was upset. Over the years it was as if he had developed a sixth sense about how she was feeling. He wouldn't always say the right things and sometimes they would fight but she knew that when it all came down to it, he always had her back. She realised then that she had let him down. He was in trouble and she wasn't there to look out for him. She had let her partner and friend down. Her thoughts began to take on a more acrid tone thereafter and she began to think about all the other people in her life that she had let down - her sister, her mother. It wasn't long before she felt the cold fingers of self-hate slowly wrap around her mind, gripping her thoughts and emotions. She was jolted out of her bitter introspection by the sound of Jane's voice. He had been watching her and had a good idea of what was going through her mind. "Don't!" he told her.

"Excuse me?" Lilly asked, wondering just what he was talking about.

He leaned in closer to her and explained in a quieter voice "you're thinking that this is all your fault, that if you hadn't told Valens to go home then none of this would have happened."

"It is my fault." Lilly explained, her voice cold.

"No, it's not. She has been planning this all along. She would have taken him anyway. You're not doing yourself or Valens any good by blaming yourself for this. Believe me, I've been there."

"I should have listened to her mister Jane. Back in oh-five. She tried to tell me but I wouldn't listen."

"Maybe so, but there's nothing you can do that'll change that now. You need to keep your head in the game. Don't lose it now. If you're gonna up against her you'll need to keep your wits about you."

Lilly nodded. "You're right."

Jane smiled and patted her on the arm.

"We're here!" Lisbon announced and stopped the car. They all climbed out and began to look around. There was nothing. No buildings, no cars, no people. The place was deserted.

"Lisbon, are you sure this is the right place?" Jane asked.

"This is the exact location she gave us." Lisbon replied.

"There's nothing here!" Jane said and Lilly checked her phone to be sure.

"This is the address alright." Lilly confirmed. "She's led us into a dead-end!"


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Big thank you to all those who reviewed the last chapter. Again, sorry it's taken a while to update but I have an extra long chapter for you to make up for it. :-)

**Disclaimer: I don't own either of these shows**

**March 2005, PPD Central, Philadelphia PA **

_Lucy Austin sat on a chair waiting to speak to someone about her sister's killer. She had been there for fifteen minutes but it was beginning to appear as if no one was interested in speaking to her. She watched as everyone hurried around, going about their daily activities and she began to feel her frustration grow. She had tried many times to get someone's attention but each time she managed, she was told that a detective would come and speak to her. So she just gave up and waited. Ten minutes later she saw the blonde detective who had been woking on her sister's case. "Miss Austin?" she asked as she approached Lucy._

_"Yes," she said, finally grateful that someone was actually interested in hearing her out. _

_"Detective Rush." She said as she held out her hand. Lucy shook it. "I understand you have something new on your sister's case?" Lucy nodded and Lilly led her to her desk. "Please, take a seat."_

_Lucy sat down and after taking a deep breath began to explain. "I..I noticed this guy hanging around outside the house after my sister's death. I've never seen him before but he creeps me out. I've tried to call the cops but every time they got there he had taken off, it's like he knew they were coming. Yesterday I was watching him through the window, it was late, but he was just sitting in his car, just staring at the house, like some kind of stalker, he noticed me looking at him and he gave me this creepy smile. It sent shivers through my body. His eyes, they just stared at me, it really freaked me out." She paused, her body had begun to tremble at the memory. "I took a picture of him." She held up her phone for Lilly to see. _

_"I think you've made a mistake," Lilly began._

_Lucy looked at her confused, "No, this is the guy."_

_"He can't be," Lilly began, "this man is a police officer. He was probably in the area on duty. Stakeout or something."_

_"This guy is a cop? No, listen…." _

_"Miss Austin, I understand that you are upset over your sister's death and you want answers…."_

_"Don't patronize me! Please, please just tell me you'll look into it?" Lucy begged._

_"Okay, I'll bring him for questioning." Lilly relented._

_Lucy smiled, "Thank you." She then got up to leave, "Oh, detective, is there somewhere I can get a drink of water around here?"_

_"There's a water cooler in the break room over there." Lilly told her just as her partner came up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. _

_"Lil, we got a case. We need to go to Kensington, Boss is already there." Scotty told her and Lilly nodded. _

_She turned towards Lucy and said, "When you're done, just ask one of these detectives to show you out." Lilly smiled to her and headed out with Scotty. _

_Lucy felt relieved, glad that someone was finally taking her seriously. She headed to the break room and drank a cup of water. Feeling refreshed, she headed out with a smile on her face. One she was back in the bullpen she looked around for a detective but the only one there was on the phone. She decided that she would just show herself out and so headed back in the direction she had entered. Just as she was headed to for the elevators, sounds of voices and laughter made her stop and the smile on her face vanished instantly. She gazed in horror at the sight before her. There was detective rush and her partner talking to the man who had been stalking her house. She hid behind a corner wall and watched. They were laughing and joking with each other. The stalker even patted Lilly's partner on the back. Then an even more horrifying sight befell her eyes. The stalker, and possibly her sister's killer, put his arms around detective Rush and kissed her. She felt the bile begin rise as she realised that the two of them were in a relationship. No wonder she was so reluctant to pursue this. The tears began to well behind her eyes at the knowledge that she was not going to be taken seriously after all. She felt betrayed._

**Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA. Present Day.**

"What do we do now?" Lisbon asked Jane who was lost in thought.

"Maybe we can trace the call?" Lilly suggested.

"Hmm…" Jane began and the two female detectives looked at him. "It doesn't make sense. Why lead us here? Why take us out to the middle of nowhere?"

"Maybe it's a trap?" Lilly said, hand on her gun.

Jane shook his head, "No, I don't think so. There must be a reason, this must all be part of her game." He then proceeded to wander off, using his cell phone as a flashlight.

"Don't go too far Jane. If Rush is right and this is a trap…." Lisbon cautioned.

Jane turned around to look at her, "I'll be careful Lisbon." She nodded, watching him go, then turned back to Lilly and asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah." She eyed Lisbon, "If you don't mind my asking; what's going on between the two of you?"

Lisbon's eyes widened at the question, "What do mean?"

"It's like you're walking on eggshells around each other." Lilly explained.

"Oh, that!" Lisbon replied and Lilly could have sworn she thought Lisbon looked relieved. "It's this whole Red John thing. It's bringing back a lot of memories we'd both rather forget."

Lilly nodded in understanding, "I can imagine." She paused before saying "You think he's right?"

"He usually is about these things. There must be a reason for bringing us out here." Lisbon said. "Maybe something she wants us to see or do?"

"Or both!" Jane said as he hurried back towards them. "Lisbon, look at this." He held out his left hand which was holding a clear plastic bag.

"Jane…is that an evidence bag?" Lisbon asked as she took it from him.

"Yes. I found it hidden behind that tree over there. You notice what's inside?"

Lisbon pulled out some white gloves from her jacket pocket, put them on and carefully opened the bag. Lilly began to feel her body tremble slightly as she glanced at the white fabric therein which had been stained with blood. "Is that Scotty's shirt?" Lilly asked but not really wanting to know the answer.

"I don't think so. The material is flimsy more like a women's top or…"

"Or dress!" Jane deduced. "You see this pattern here at the edge…"

"Jane! Gloves?" Lisbon reminded him.

"Left mine back at the motel." He shrugged and Lisbon rolled her eyes. "As I was saying, the pattern along the edge of this bears a striking resemblance to…"

"The other rape victim!" Lilly realised, "She was wearing a dress with that pattern. It's in the case file!" Jane nodded.

"Where did she get this?" Lisbon asked while Lilly put on her own pair of gloves and took the bag from Lisbon so she could get a closer look at it.

"She must have swiped this from the evidence store room. But how did she even….." It then dawned on her, "When she came in to report her attack!"

"Question is; what is she trying to tell us?" Lisbon asked, "I mean, why this?"

Jane turned to Lilly. "Do you remember any other details from the file? Anything could be important. This is obviously meant to mean something. She has sent us on a kind of scavenger hunt. This has to be related somehow."

Lilly thought for a while and Jane resumed his wandering again. She took out her cell phone and looked at the address again. "I think this is the place where it happened." She told them. "This was where she was attacked."

Suddenly they heard a cry from a few feet away. "Lisbon!" They both turned around to see Jane holding up another evidence bag. "This was tucked in between the branches of that tree. Looks like a picture of Valens and your team."

Lilly hurried over to have a look at it. "It was taken during our departmental baseball game last year. It was just a few days before Will retired. Scotty scored a grand slam and we won!" She turned it over and saw that there was something written on the back of the picture. "It says, if you want to end the game you must go home."

"There's something else in there" Jane noticed, "looks like…it's detective Valens's card."

Lilly took it from him to have a closer look. "Blood." Lilly observed. "Probably Scotty's. What kind of sick game is she playing? What does she mean you have to go home?" Lilly paused, "You don't think she got us out of my house so she could do something there?"

Lisbon thought for a moment, "I don't think so. This must be related to the dress..somehow."

"Lisbon's right, it's a clue." Jane agreed.

"Of all the pictures in Scotty's apartment, why would she pick this one?" Lilly wondered out loud. "She could have picked anyone, why this. It has to mean something. We're all together, a team, a family. Maybe she's trying to tell me she's breaking the family up by taking Scotty? Hurt me like she was hurt when…when he killed her sister?"

"Maybe, but maybe it's related to baseball? She did say something about going home to end the game." Lisbon suggested.

Jane nodded, "Yes, that's it! Think about it. In baseball you have four bases all arranged in a diamond, all connected, like these locations are all connected. To get to home you have to make the full circuit. That's where she's been taking us. First the crime scene at Fallwood's apartment, next detective Valens' apartment, now here, where Fallwood's other victim was attacked so that means.."

"That means there's one more location left!" Lisbon finished.

"Yes, and I'm willing to bet that's where she's holding Scotty!" Jane added.

Lilly was silent, trying to figure out the next location. "All the other three locations were tied to the case so the next one has to be too….." Suddenly her eyes widened in realisation, "I got it! There's only one more location left…home. Her home in 2005, where the first attack occurred. That's where she's holding Scotty!"

"Do you remember the address?" Lisbon asked as the three of them walked towards her car.

"No, but I'll call Kat back at the station, she can have a look for us."

**Jeffrey Fallwood's apartment. Kensington, Philadelphia PA. A few days ago.**

_Lucy Austin stood outside his door, her body trembling at the thought of what she was about to do. She had been thinking about this for a while now, fantasizing about it. She had tried again to report him when he threatened her but once again they failed to take her seriously, so now she would take matters into her own hands, just like Red John had taught her. She would employ his methods, honor his memory. It would be glorious! She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, then knocked twice on the door and waited. She could hear his footsteps as he approached. Seconds later the door opened and he stood before her. She looked him in the eyes and said, "I think we need to talk."_

_He looked at her and she could tell by the predatory expression on his face that he was already planning to do unspeakable things to her once she went inside. The thought sickened her to the core but she pushed her feelings aside and continued, knowing that she could use that against him. "I've been thinking about what you said and I've decided to forget about it. Drop the charges and stop pursuing it any further."_

_He gave her a skeptical look, "Oh yeah? Just like that?"_

_She nodded and gave him her best look of despair, "I'm tired of all of this. I thought about what you said and I realised I won't find any peace until this is all behind me. I just want to live my life."_

_He smirked, "Well then, why don't you come in?"_

_She had spent days looking at his service record, analyzing his behavior. She noticed that he had only attacked women from wealthy backgrounds. He wanted to date above his station and when they turned him down, he took his revenge. It was Lucy's turn to smirk. She would give him what he wanted. She would make him think he had her but it would be her who would get her revenge. For once and for all. _

_She entered his apartment, eyes scanning the walls, looking for a suitable canvass for her artwork. It had to be perfect, somewhere prominent; a place where the blood red smiling face would really make a statement. When she entered the living room she found it; an empty wall opposite the window, just behind the couch. She smiled, her body trembling again, but this time out of pleasure rather than nerves. Justice was finally about to be served and the thought excited her._

_She heard him moving behind her and turned around to find him holding out two glasses. "Let's celebrate our new agreement." He suggested in his most charming voice. She nodded, setting her purse down on the end table near the arm of the couch and he proceeded to pour wine into the glasses. When he was finished he sat down beside her, a little too close, a clinked his glass with hers. "To new beginnings and…" his eyes roamed her body, "new possibilities."_

_Lucy took a sip of the wine to push down the bile she felt rising up to her throat and then put the glass down on the coffee table in front of the couch. Fallwood did the same and then sat back into the cushions and appraised her. "You know, you look a lot like your sister." He said, draping his arm over the back of the couch. Lucy felt her senses go on alert; he was testing her. "You're a little slimmer though, and more passionate. I could tell that by the way you wielded that knife at me in your kitchen. Your sister didn't have such…fight." The blood began to boil in her veins and any doubts about what she was going to do evaporated there and then. He shifted his body towards her and she could smell the alcohol on his breath as he moved his face closer. "I'm glad you decided to come over." He told her._

_"Really?" she replied, feigning interest._

_"Yeah, I was hoping to get to know you better. I like the fire in you; I think we could be good together." Before she could react, Fallwood was pressing his lips to hers and positioning himself on top of her, pinning her against the armrest._

_Lucy had to think fast; this was not the position she wanted him in. She pushed him away with her left arm on his shoulder and as he pulled back she could see a flash of irritation blaze across his eyes but before it could turn into the heat of anger, she told him, "I like this idea, but I know something that'll make it even better." She said seductively as she leant forward, using her weight to push him back so he was lying on the opposite end of the couch, she then moved to rest on top of him._

_He smiled, clearly amused, "Hmmm I knew you liked to be on top!" He then grabbed her head, pulling her lips back on to his and ravaged her mouth with his. She was pleased with his reaction; she needed to get him distracted enough for what she was about to do. She broke away from him just then, moving her hands to unbutton his shirt, making a mental note of where each line of her masterpiece would go. She looked up to see the lust in his eyes and was pleased when she saw that he mistook her interest in his body for something other than a canvas for vengeance. It would make it easier to surprise him when she made that first cut. She moved to kiss him again. As soon as his eyes were closed she reached up towards the end table where she left her purse and retrieved her knife. The moment was close. She waited, her heart beating furiously. The second he let go of her head to reach for her blouse she sat up quickly, the knife held above her head. And then it was like time slowed down. She could see the change in his eyes, from lust, to amusement at her suddenly pulling away, to surprise when he saw the knife and then, then that one emotion she longed to see reflected in his eyes ever since her sister's death; fear. She was surprised at how easy it was after that, it was almost as if she wasn't in control of her own body or mind. The knife carved into him, one line at a time. She watched as her hand took on a life of its own, painting a picture of sweet revenge on his body. His screams seemed to serve as a soundtrack to the liberation she felt at finally giving this monster just what he deserved. _

_And then it was over. _

_She soaked her fingers into the crimson river flowing from his lifeless body and moved over to her chosen spot on the wall and left her memorial to the man who had helped set her free. Her smile matched the one she had just painted; she sighed contentedly, and then walked out._

**Lucy Austin's parents' house, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia PA. present day.**

The sun was beginning to rise as Lisbon pulled up a few doors away from the house and the three of them got out of the car. The neighborhood was a nice one; lots of well manicured lawns and family homes.

"It's that one over there." Lilly told them.

"Nice house!" Jane commented.

"I don't think it's a good idea to just walk up there. We should be careful; this whole thing reeks of a trap!" Lilly cautioned.

"Let's go round the back." Lisbon instructed and they sent off towards the house; both her and Lilly had their guns drawn. While they cautiously made their way through the back yard, something caught Jane's eye. It was a piece of paper stuck to one of the side windows. He left his colleagues and moved towards it, thinking it was another clue. The house looked deserted but the blinds were drawn so he couldn't see inside. He read the note – _when the sun sets it's time to sleep close your eyes and your soul will weep_. "Lisbon!" Jane whispered towards the back of the house but he couldn't get her attention. He looked at the note again and felt something wasn't right. This was different, the other two didn't rhyme; this was a break in the pattern. _Time to sleep, setting sun, weeping souls. She obviously wants us to go to the bedroom where her sister was killed. Rush was right this is a trap. _He thought and decided to avoid going there. He slowly ventured towards the front door, then realising it was open, pushed and went inside. The house was dark, the only light coming from the gaps in the blinds. Suddenly an idea struck him. He walked quickly out of the house to find Lisbon but when he got round to the back yard he found that neither she nor Lilly were there. "Lisbon?" he whispered, "detective Rush?" there was no answer. He looked around and saw the back door was slightly open; they must have gone inside. He decided to follow; he had to warn them not to go upstairs. He walked up the three steps leading to the door and then carefully opened it, half expecting it to creak. The back of the house was just as dark as the front but he could still make out the basic layout of the room; it was a kitchen. "Lisbon! Rush!" he whispered again, still no answer. Suddenly he heard a slight rustling sound coming from his left. He saw a closed door which led to the garage. Cautiously, he walked over there. "Lisbon?" he asked again but there was no reply. He tentatively tried the handle; it was unlocked. As quietly as he could, he opened the door, just a little bit to peek inside but when he did so, all he could see was darkness. The sensible part of his mind was telling him to find Lisbon and Rush but Jane being Jane, refused to listen and proceeded to open the door further. He walked inside, almost falling over before realising that there were a few steps leading down into the garage itself. Luckily his hand found a railing and he steadied himself. He descended down the steps and as his eyes began to grow accustomed to the darkness, he could detect a faint glow of light coming from the far right corner of the room. Looking closer, he realised that it was being obscured by a screen of some kind. He listened for any sign of life and was rewarded with that faint rustling noise once again, only this time it was a little louder and was coming from behind the screen. He walked closer, unable to stop his curiosity from getting the better of him. He soon approached the area where the light was coming from and walked behind the screen. What he saw made his gasp in horror. "Detective Valens?" he asked, his eyes trying to process the beaten and tortured body of the man who lay before him on the floor. Scotty didn't answer him, he looked as though he was asleep. Jane moved closer, "Valens?" he crouched down to check Scotty's pulse but just as he was reaching out, a woman's voice made him stop.

"Hello mister Jane!"

Jane's eyes widened when he realised who she was. "Miss Austin!" Jane said as he stood up slowly, swallowing in fear when he saw the gun she had pointed at him.

"You know who I am?" she smirked, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised." She took a few more steps forward and gestured to him that he should move towards the wall. He did so slowly, his hands in the air, never taking his eyes of the weapon she held. She sighed, and there was something that denoted pleasure in her eyes. "I know who you are too. You are the man who is responsible for helping to end the life of the one person who has meant so much to me." She unhooked the safety catch and smiled, "Now I'm going to return the favor!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own either of these shows.**

Lucy Austin couldn't have been more pleased at the unexpected turn of events. "I've heard about you Mister Jane." She began. "The master, Red John spoke highly of your ability to read people. I should have known you'd be the one behind solving the clues I left you so quickly." She took a step closer.

"Well it was obvious really, but I suspect that was the whole point, wasn't it?" He hedged. "You wanted us to find you."

"Her!" She corrected. "Detective Rush! But seeing _you_ here instead, it's even better! Is that bitch here too?"

"Detective Rush?" Jane asked.

He saw anger flash in her eyes, "Your partner!" she told him, darkly. "The one who killed Red John!"

"No, it's just me." He lied.

"Are you sure about that mister Jane?" She lunged forward and pressed the gun against his temple. "See, I find that hard to believe. You two are always together. If you're here in Philadelphia, then she must be too! Where is she?"

Jane felt his heart pound inside his chest and a cold sweat began to form on his forehead but he managed to keep his voice calm. "She's not here. I came here on my own."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Scotty stirring; he was regaining consciousness. They both glanced at him quickly before Lucy turned her attention back to Jane. "Poor detective Valens. I do feel sorry for him, in a way. He's the only innocent one in all this."

"Then why not let him go?" Jane asked.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. I need him. I need him to help her see how it feels. She needs to feel sorry for what she's done!" She looked at him. "I disgust you don't I?"

Jane swallowed, "Yes."

She smirked but let him continue.

"You're so blinded by your own sense of self importance that you don't care who gets hurt."

"You hypocrite!" She sneered. "I've been reading up on you Mister Jane! Your own quest for vengeance. Red John was humiliated by you on national TV while you were pretending to be a psychic. You used him as a means to inflate your own ego and you have the nerve…" she held the gun to his face and he flinched, "To be self righteous about what _I've_ done? How many innocent people had to get hurt, how many were killed before you finally had your pound of flesh?"

Jane's eyes darkened, "Red John killed my family!" he said, trying his best to restrain the anger the felt well up inside. "They were innocent but he killed them. Slaughtered them like animals. My wife and child!" His voice caught on the last word.

"And that bastard Fallwood killed my only sister! Raped her and then stabbed her death!"

"Red John was a monster, he deserved to die!" Jane spat.

"And so did Fallwood!"

"You've had your vengeance; Fallwood is dead. Why pull Rush and Valens into this?"

"Betrayal must be punished!" she told him, her voice growing wilder with every sentence. "She had a choice, she could have listened to me, looked into it, but instead she decided to follow her heart." She mocked.

"I understand how you feel…"

"Do you?" she shouted, "Do you really?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes." Jane replied. "I understand that you're angry, that you feel betrayed by the people you thought you could trust to help you. But this isn't the way! You're not going to earn any sympathy by hurting detective Valens."

"She must pay for her part in all of this. If she had only listened to me when I came to her, that other girl wouldn't have been raped and I wouldn't have been forced to kill him! She has blood on her hands too."

"And then what?" Jane asked and Lucy looked at him blankly. "What happens after that? What about you? How will you pay for what you have done here?"

"Mine was a righteous kill. I put away a murderer and a rapist. For life! Something the cops couldn't…" she paused, "_wouldn't_ do."

"He's not the only one you've hurt. You said it yourself, detective Valens is innocent, and you've hurt an innocent man. How will you pay for _that_?" Jane pressed, "Who will make you pay for that crime? You see what this has done to you, what _he_ has done to you? Red John hasn't helped you find clarity or peace, he's corrupted you, turned you into a version of himself." He paused, "I've read your file too, miss Austin. You were a bright student, a happy, carefree person with a promising future."

"Shut up!" she shouted at him.

"He's taken that away from you, but you can get it back, you can be free of him, it's not too late."

"You don't know what you're talking about. Red John opened my eyes."

"No, he has blinded you to everything but your own desire for vengeance." Jane countered. "I know what that feels like. I once told a friend; when you hunt a monster, you become one."

"I am _not _a monster!" she all but screamed and then shoved Jane against the wall. "And I have had enough of you! This has all worked out for the best, 'cos now I can make agent Lisbon pay too." She aimed the gun at his head and smiled, "she loves you, you know. Red John knew all along, and he was right." She paused and quickly glanced around the room, "And I'm willing to bet she's here too. In this house, probably following the little clue I left." Her eyes burned with something dark and unfathomable; it sent chills through Jane's body.

"She's not here" Jane reiterated but she didn't believe him.

"Methinks the gentleman doth protest too much! You wouldn't be trying to protect her now would you? Not the great Patrick Jane! You're all about self-preservation, surely you wouldn't have feelings for that little bitch now?" Jane felt his fists ball up with anger and it took every biofeedback trick he had to control himself. Lucy noticed this and felt a trickle of delight course through her veins. "Oh! Looks like you do! Oh this is just perfect. Romeo and Juliet. How romantic!" she teased. "And just like them, you'll both die together two."

"She's not here!"

"I think she is. Shall we call here?"

Jane was silent.

"You suddenly got nothing to say mister Jane? Call her!" she ordered.

Jane looked her in the eyes and remained silent.

"Well then, it's time for plan B." She aimed for his arm and fired her gun.

In the few seconds that it took his mind to register what had happened Jane was stunned, but when he finally felt a throbbing pain in his arm, he looked down and realised that he had been shot. He immediately began to panic. He looked at her, his mouth opened but all she did was smile as he clutched at the wound.

"The waiting is always the hardest part." She sighed.

As the blood continued to slowly pour out of him he began to feel lightheaded and slowly sank to the floor, his eyes never leaving her face.

"How many shots do you think it would take before she comes running in here?" she asked just as the door to the garage burst opened; Lisbon and Rush entered with guns drawn. "Only one it seems!"

"Drop the weapon!" Lisbon ordered but Lucy was steadfast. Lisbon cautiously moved closer, Lilly covered her as she did so. "I said drop it!"

"Agent Lisbon!" Lucy began, "About time you got here. We've been waiting for you." She motioned to Jane, who was beginning to lose consciousness.

An expression of mild horror took hold of her face as she glanced at both Scotty and Jane. "Drop that damn gun right now or I swear to God I will shoot you!"

"Now, now, agent. You wouldn't want anything to happen to mister Jane would you?"

"Do as she says!" Lilly ordered, "Drop the weapon!"

"Or what? You know I could kill detective Valens right now. It would be a kindness, he's suffered a lot of pain."

Lilly lunged forward, "You bitch!" her finger began to squeeze the trigger.

Lucy was so distracted by Lilly's outburst that she took her eyes off Lisbon for just a second, but that was enough. Lisbon, moving at lightning speed, disarmed her, tackled Lucy to the ground and then handcuffed her. Lilly helped Lisbon move her over to the railing by the entrance and cuffed her leg to it so she couldn't escape before backup arrived.

Once she saw that Lucy was secured, Lilly ran towards Scotty and knelt beside him on the ground. She reached out and touched his neck and was relieved when she found a pulse. She immediately took out her cell phone and called for medical help and then called Stilman and let him know what had happened. When she hung up, she moved closer to her partner, reached out and held his hand in hers and tenderly stroked his face with her other hand, all the time whispering to him that he was going to be okay. She thought back her conversation with Lisbon earlier that night and whispered to him as the tears began to well up behind her eyes, "I'm not going to leave you Scotty. I won't leave you." She knew in her heart that it was true. After all they had been through together she could never walk away from him. They were tied together, but it wasn't the job that bound them to each other, it was something else. Lilly looked over to Jane and saw that Lisbon was by his side now, probably telling him something similar. She watched as Lisbon hugged him tenderly and thought it was strange that the two of them couldn't see what was right in front of their eyes. Little did she know that the same feelings were beginning to stir in her own heart.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: So this the last chapter of this story. I want to thank everyone who has followed/favourited and left a review. Special thanks to imsoproudofyou for consistently reviewing this story :-)

**Disclaimer: I don't own either of these shows.**

A few moments later, Stilman arrived with a CSU team in tow. Lucy Austin had been escorted into a police car in handcuffs by two uniformed officers. The paramedics who had arrived shortly before, had loaded Scotty onto a gurney and were currently checking Jane over. Teresa Lisbon and Lilly Rush both watched as their partners were being taken care of. Lisbon said a silent prayer of thanks that neither of them had been mortally hurt. After making sure that Jane was okay, she wandered over to Lilly, who up until now had been very quiet. "Is he okay?" she asked as she sat beside her on the cold garage floor.

Lilly looked up at her. "Yeah. They said he's going to be okay, no major arteries were cut. He'll need a couple of weeks to rest, but he'll be fine." She replied. "What about mister Jane?"

"The bullet hit him in the arm, he'll have to wear a sling for a while but he'll be okay."

Lilly turned to Lisbon and noticed the pain in her eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked, noting the way she would glance towards Jane every few minutes.

"Yeah," she replied, "just glad we caught her before…"

"Yeah," Lilly whispered, "I know." She paused then said, "You and Jane…"

Lisbon looked at her, "What?"

"You're more than just partners, aren't you?"

Lisbon was momentarily speechless. "We're….friends" was all she could say but Lilly didn't believe her. "I've seen the way you look at him, and the way he looks at you."

Lisbon looked down at the floor and sighed. "It will never come to anything. He needs to move on."

"He can't do that with you?" Lilly asked.

"I don't think I'm what he needs. I think I remind him too much of his past; what he had to do to get closure. He needs someone who can give him a future."

Lilly studied her expression as she spoke, "I don't think you really mean that."

"Doesn't matter, it'll never work, I mean, come on, me and Jane?"

"I've seen worse pairings. I was in one!" she laughed bitterly as she referred to Fallwood. "He seems like a decent guy."

"He is." Lisbon agreed.

"He cares about you." Lilly added.

Lisbon was quiet for a few seconds before admitting, "I know."

"Teresa, you should tell him how you feel. After everything that happened today…and in our line of work… even if nothing comes of it, he should know." Lilly advised.

Lisbon thought about this for a while before saying, "You're right." She smiled at Lilly and then headed off towards Jane as they were taking him out of the building and into an ambulance.

…

A couple of days later Lilly was back at her desk at Philly PD. The others were all out working a case but she had been stuck on desk duty until the departmental shrink deemed her to be psychologically fit enough to carry a gun again. She hated talking to psychiatrists but soon realised that she found some relief in talking about what had happened.

Scotty had been signed off for two weeks and she found herself missing him a lot, she even caught herself glancing towards his desk every so often when she thought no one was looking. She tried her best to take her mind off him and the way he looked sprawled on the floor of Lucy Austin's parents' garage, his blood seeping through his clothing as he lay unconscious. In the silence of the bullpen she thought about her conversation with Lisbon and how close they had both come to potentially losing their partners. She hoped that she and Jane would have that conversation with each other. She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of someone calling her name. She turned her head and saw Lisbon walking up to her with Jane following close behind.

"Agent Lisbon!" she stood to greet them. "mister Jane. I didn't expect to see you back here."

"We're heading back to Sacramento this afternoon, just came here to say goodbye." Lisbon said.

"How's detective Valens doing?" Jane asked.

"He's out of the hospital now, resting at home. He's going to be fine, but he'll be sorry he missed saying goodbye. I know he wanted to thank both of you for all your help."

Lisbon looked around the bullpen, "You know, I don't know how you guys do it. Working these cold cases each day, some of them decades old; I can't imagine how difficult it must be, and yet you never give up!"

Lilly smiled, "Everyone needs closure in their lives, and justice. Sometimes it's hard, bringing up the past, seeing the ghosts of the memories reflected in the eyes of the victims' families, but when we do solve them; seeing that relief, kinda makes it all worth while. I know it's not as exciting as fresh cases, but this what I do, this is where I belong."

Lisbon smiled and shook her hand, "I understand. Goodbye detective Rush, take care of yourself and that partner of yours."

"You too." She replied and then shook both hers and Jane's hand, "Bye agent Lisbon, mister Jane." Lilly watched as they headed for the elevators and noticed how just as the doors parted open Jane slowly reached for Lisbon's hand and held it in his. She couldn't help the involuntary smile that played upon her lips. Those two would be okay after all, she thought and then walked back to her desk.

….

Later that evening Lilly was lying on her living room couch, trying to focus on a novel she was reading. She stared at the words, going over the same sentence time and time again but she just couldn't seem to concentrate. She rested the book on her stomach and then reached out for the glass of wine that she had set on the coffee table. As she took a sip she realised that her thoughts had turned to the conversation with Lisbon again. She felt glad that Lisbon had taken that leap and spoken to Jane about the way she felt about him. If she was completely honest with herself she was a little envious at how Lisbon had had the guts to do it. She knew there was still unfinished business between her and her own partner, words left unspoken and unacknowledged.

She thought back to three years ago when they had rescued her sister and her baby. They had driven back to her place and how Scotty and she had sat on that very couch while Christina and her daughter slept in her bedroom, both exhausted. Lilly had cried that evening. The stress of nearly losing her sister, then finding her, realising not only was she addicted to drugs but she had a daughter too, Lilly's niece, it was all too much and it just came crashing down on her, like a tidal wave.

Scotty had sat next to her, put his arms around her and pulled her close to him as the two of them sat back on the couch. He just held her as she cried, lightly kissed her once on her head and they both fell asleep there; but the next morning, neither of them had spoken of that tender moment between them, they just acted like it never happened. It had been three years now and although there was a definite shift in their friendship, neither Scotty nor she was willing to risk discussing it. Lilly thought back to the memory of Scotty lying on that floor and realised that he could have died without knowing what he meant to her. Three years, she had been a coward for three years. She stood up and grabbed her car keys then headed for the door.

...

Scotty was sitting out on the roof of his apartment building drinking a beer. He stared out into the chilly Philadelphia night. He had been there for just under an hour, unable to rest. He had spent the days since he had come home from the hospital trying to piece together what had happened but he still couldn't remember how he had arrived at that garage. He hated the fact that a part of his life could potentially be lost to him forever. "There you are!" said a female voice from behind him. He turned around and saw that it was Lilly. "I tried your apartment but when you didn't answer I figured you'd be up here." She walked closer to him. "How are you?"

He smiled, "Bit sore, but a lot better today. Should be back at work in a week."

Lilly moved closer, "You should be resting. You've been through a lot."

"Did Boss send you here? He's been checking up on me."

"No, I...I just wanted to see you."

"Oh." He paused, "Lil it's eight o'clock in the evening, I can't sleep this early. I'm fine, really. I just came out here to breathe a little, you know. Being cooped up in there….it gets kinda suffocating."

"I know." she said and found herself looking into his eyes.

"Hey, I heard you were ready to kill her."

"She could have killed you Scotty. I wasn't about to let that happen."

"You know you could have gotten into a lot of trouble for that."

"I know. I don't care. There are some things that matter more." She was speaking softly now.

Scotty smiled, "Thanks Lil. I mean that."

"You would have done the same for me." She shrugged.

He took a step closer, "Yeah, I would."

"Scotty I…."

"Yeah?" he asked.

Lilly hesitated, the full implications of what she wanted to say finally dawning on her, "I….I'm glad you're feeling better." She mentally kicked herself at her lack of courage, "I should go." She told him but instead of heading towards the exit, her feet refused to move.

Scotty still held her gaze, "Lil," he whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just…" she too was now whispering.

"What?"

Her eyes were now locked with his. "I don't want to leave."

Scotty smiled and then reached down and grabbed her hand. "Then don't."

She looked at their joined hands and felt her heart rate jump. "Scotty…."

"Stay with me Lil."

Lilly moved towards him and he held her in his arms. When they finally broke the embrace he led her to the edge of the roof and the two of them looked out at the stars together, holding hands. She would stay with him, just as she had done before, and, she realised, just as she always will.


End file.
